Sacrifice
by Harley-Jensen
Summary: What happens when you take important people for granted? You realize how valuable they were from the beginning. Follow the story of different peoples survival and losses.
1. Chapter 1

To Rachel Aldan life was all about her. Period. Her life had always revolved around herself and her close friends. But today her life would not revolve around "her" but about more important things that she had never really taken into consideration…that is until now.

"Rachel"

"….."

"Rachel I'm talking to you"

"…"

"Put that damn phone away" Phoebe Aldan, her mother, snatched her daughters blackberry from her typing thumbs and held onto to it waiting for her to look her in the eye.

"God. What mom?"

Rachel scoffed staring her mother straight in the eye.

"I was talking to you"

"No you weren't you were just calling my name"

"Exactly. Don't you look people in the eye when they call you?"

"Only if it's for something important"

"Rachel I've had enough of your texting on that damn phone at the table"

"Why? No one even talks anyway" Rachel crossed her arms looking at her dinner plate.

Phoebe Aldan had had enough of her daughters petty attitude and got up. Taking the phone with her. Rachel looked up at her mother as she stared at her then turned her back.

"Where are you going with that?"

"I'm tired of your attitude Rachel and it's time I took some discipline in this house"

Rachel was starting to become worried noticing the seriousness in her moms voice. She followed her careful not to lose sight on her blackberry.

"Don't be stupid mom"

"Stupid? Is that what your calling this?"

Her mother walked to their garage finding something in her dads tool box. Rachel quickly followed behind worried for her phone now. Her mother pulled out a hammer, setting the phone on a table, Rachel then got the hint of what she was planning on doing.

"No! Please I'll stop with my attitude. I'll-do anything just give me my phone" she pleaded

Phoebe ignored her daughters plea and swung the hammer giving all her arm strength into smashing the blackberry phone. She kept smashing the hammer until she felt absolute sure she had broken the phone to smithereens…literally.

"Now. Let's go eat shall we?" Her mother perked up her voice setting the hammer to the side and fixed her clothes.

Rachel stared open-mouthed at her dead phone taking in the situation at hand.

Her mother walked out of the room, the clang of her heels leaving a dreadful feeling to her daughter. She stopped in the hallway looking back at Rachel.

"Coming Rachel?"

Rachel closed her mouth swallowing hard and looked at her mother.

"I hate you"

Phoebe kept a serine face not flinching once as she held her head high walking away. Rachel watched as her mother walked away then looked at her destroyed phone. She hadn't even saved her numbers anywhere.

"Stupid bitch. I hate her, really, really, hate her!" she began picking up the broken pieces of her phone. Maybe I can piece them together or something she thought. No that's stupid it's totally and irreversibly destroyed.

"Dammit Phoebe!" she yelled hoping to get her mothers attention. To her surprise she didn't. No heels hitting the hardwood floor, no yelling back. How odd.

"Ha I hope she died on her way to the dining room" she mumbled gleefully.

Rachel gave one last sigh then decided it was time for her to go eat when she heard a sudden noise. No possibly a clang? She ignored it turning the light off and closing the door no more like slamming it. She smiled liking how loud it sounded.

As she reached the dining room she noticed her mother wasn't there, perhaps she was in the kitchen? Rachel scoffed to herself knowing that her mother was going to have one of those stupid lectures with her….again.

"Look mom if your going to have one of those stupid parental-"

She froze where she stood. Not believing what was right in front of her eyes.

"Oh my God"

Every feeling of hate and resentment left her as she put her hands on her mothers shoulders shaking her.

"Wake up. Please wake up"

She shook her as if trying to wake her from a nap except when you take a nap you don't have blood all over yourself and a chunk of your neck torn out. Her mind went into to shock, her brain protecting her from the situation she was in. Irrational thoughts popped into her head, this was a dream right? This was a prank.

"Stop joking around and open your eyes mom! Have one of your stupid parental talks with me. Get mad at me for yelling at you! Just do anything please"

Tears poured out of her eyes blurring her vision. She wiped them away with the back of her hand not caring that fresh blood smeared onto her face. This moment wasn't about her, it was about her mom.

"I didn't mean it when I said I hated you. I don't" she picked up her mothers upper body hugging her and rocking back and forth.

"I didn't mean it mommy. I didn't mean it…" she repeated this feeling like a child again.

It seemed like eternity as she kept repeating those words and holding her mothers dead body until she heard a loud noise. She kept rocking back and forth ignoring the loud footsteps as it etched closer to the kitchen. She kept her eyes closed until she felt another presence standing in the doorway. Was that snarling she heard? Her eyes opened slowly, looking across from her was a man covered in complete blood both over his body and mouth. She sat frozen not sure if she was feeling fear or that she was in a dream state.

"Go away" she said softly

As if that was his mark he ran at her mouth open in a snarl. Her survival instincts kicked in, letting go of her mother and getting up to the counter table to grab something. It came after her coming right behind her, luckily she had grabbed a cutting knife turning around quickly to slash the knife across it's face cutting his eye.

"Holy shit" she breathed as it staggered back

It wasn't long before it looked at her again this time charging for her. She ran with knife in hand up the stairs to her parents bedroom. Just as she reached the room it grabbed at her almost grabbing a hold of her shirt before she slammed the door in its face throwing it on its back. She locked the door then looked under the bed for a specific box that held something valuable.

"Shit it's not there"

The loud banging motivating her more to find the box.

"Where the hell is it?"

She searched the room surprised in the few minutes she had before that thing broke in she had searched the whole room. Finally she found it in the closet on the top of the shelf practically throwing it on the floor and ripping it open to the one thing she had always been afraid of.

The door busted open. Without another thought she aimed the gun at the thing and shot repeatedly. After four shots she realized she was crying again shaking the gun and still having it aimed. It was definitely dead by now. She stood up sniffing hard and walked slowly to the thing that had killed her mother. She was cautious seeing this in thousands of movies as the supposed dead man opened his eyes and sprung for the main character. But as she stood over him it didn't move just stared at the ceiling, at her.

All was quiet now as she walked away from the room thinking about absolutely nothing and holding the gun to her side. She walked down the stairs taking her time looking out the front door to her quiet street. All seemed fine as if this had never happened and she'd find her mother waiting for her in the dining room. She shut the door locking it. Rachel Aldan had come to find the hard way of realizing the importance of people she had taken for granted.


	2. Chapter 2

Tyler Stanton held his sniper in hand walking cautiously through a deserted community of homes still searching for any signs of survivors.

"Dude give it a rest already nobody's alive anymore"

Tyler glanced over his shoulder at his closest friend J.R. who was the last surviving friend he had. The rest of the survivors at the compound were just acquaintances seeing as it was only four other people.

"You know there could still be someone living and breathing besides you and I here"

"Doubt it"

Tyler shook his head looking around the run down houses. He was beginning to believe J.R. until he spotted a movement a few blocks away in a house. He lifted his sniper to scope in on the home. J.R. lifted his as well.

"Whatcha see?"

Tyler put down his sniper looking back at J.R. smiling.

"This one's mine"

J.R. lifted the sniper beside his head and rolled his eyes.

"It's probably nothing Tyler!" he yelled as Tyler ran down the street.

"Lucky bastard" he grumbled.

Tyler reached the house smirk still on his face as he kicked the door in.

"You know you didn't have to do that!" J.R.'s voice yelled from far away.

"I know" Tyler said to himself as he scanned the front of the house, ready to shoot something in case something came out. He searched the house not finding anything except for a dead body upstairs decaying in the doorway of a bedroom. He reached the garage turning the switch and finding nothing important, that was until he turned around.

"Whoa!" He dodged a swinging sledgehammer.

It swung again almost cutting his shoulder blade until he knocked it out of his attackers hands. He elbowed her in the face, causing her to land on the ground. Hard.

"Who are you?" he aimed the sniper at her, finger on trigger ready to shoot.

His attacker opened her eyes squinting her eyes up at him. He asked the question again more loudly.

"I'm human if that's what your asking"

Tyler still held the sniper aimed at her.

"What's your name?"

"Rachel, Rachel Aldan"

He surveyed her looking for any bite marks or concealed weapons. Thankfully she came up with none. He took the sniper off her. He held out his hand.

"Thank you" she took it dusting herself off

"I'm Tyler"

Rachel looked up at the man standing in front of her. He wore an army uniform and held a sniper, he had some blood stains on his uniform which wasn't surprising and dirt markings on his face. It was obvious this guy hadn't showered for days. Though as vainly as she hated to admit he was still attractive to look at even after all the dirt and grime on him.

"What was a girl like you doing all alone in a house like this?"

Rachel smirked looking at her shoes, "hiding"

"Why didn't you go to a quarantined place like the rest of them?"

"Them? If I had I would've been dead like the rest of them….now wouldn't I?"

Tyler looked grimly at the young woman in front of him. She appeared to be between the ages of seventeen to nineteen. Where were her parents at?

"Where your parents at?"

Rachel looked up at Tyler face having no emotion.

"Dead"

He looked around the hall probably guessing where they might be. He looked at his watch.

"Come on we've got to go before someone hears us" he grabbed her arm. She flinched away.

"I'm not going anywhere" she backed away

Tyler stared at her surprised at her reaction but then again how many months had she been in this house? Alone.

"I'm not leaving without you"

They stared each other down waiting for someone to give in.

"We're wasting time Rachel"

She was the first to break eye contact, "Fine"

He glanced at his watch grabbing her arm picking up a fast pace to the front door. She dragged behind then pulled away again.

"What is it this time?" Tyler turned around raising an eyebrow

Rachel ran back disappearing, Tyler supposed she went to go back to get something. He stood in the foyer looking around until she returned wearing a worn out jacket and a herringbone cap. He stared at her amused that she left to go put on her cap, she looked up at him chin raised high.

"Well shouldn't we go now?"

He let her pass smirking as he closed the door behind himself. They walked in silence, her up a few paces and him walking behind glancing everywhere.

Rachel looked around taking in everything she saw; the last time she had been outside was the day…it happened. She remembered every detail especially the one that hurt the most, it had taken her a week to come to the realization that her mother was really dead. If she would've seen herself those weeks she had her mother down in the basement with her she would've thought she was crazy. She hadn't seen anyone in four months being locked down in the basement with few supplies her father had packed down there for any emergencies. With the pistol she shot the thing that killed her mother with, she didn't know how much bullets were left in there but she was sane enough to carry it with her everywhere and not use it on herself. She thought of where she had it feeling it rub against her skin…

"That's J.R. up there"

Rachel squinted her eyes through the sun seeing someone standing around impatiently a couple blocks away. He wore the same uniform as Tyler and carried the same weapon. Rachel looked over her shoulder at Tyler, he half smiled at her and she looked away.

J.R. heard footsteps and spotted Tyler with some girl walking a few paces upfront. So Tyler was right there was one survivor left in this deserted community of homes, he smiled at them waving.

Tyler came up beside Rachel whispering in her ear, "That's the first of other survivors your gonna see"

He walked on smirking back at her, she looked from Tyler to J.R. unsure of what he meant. J.R. held out a hand to her as she walked closer, she took it.

"I'm J.R."

Rachel nodded her head, "Tyler told me"

Tyler looked at her, "This is Rachel, I found her in one of the homes here"

"I'm surprised you found anyone in here"

"I had been hiding out"

J.R. nodded his head smiling at her, "How old are you by the way?"

"Eighteen"

"Well since we're done with the introductions I think it's time we went back to the compound"

Tyler waited for J.R. to turn around and start walking as well as Rachel, not surprisingly J.R. latched onto her as they walked back to the compound. With amusement he saw J.R. talking and talking while Rachel mostly nodded her head. She seemed quiet only half-smiling or speaking once or twice but who could blame her? She had been cooped up in that house for months not having any human contact. She wasn't hard to look at either which was probably one of the reasons why J.R. smiled so much when he brought her over. Tyler seemed to be lost in his own thoughts when all of a sudden he heard Rachel take on a serious tone which was pretty loud compared to J.R.'s.

"I'd rather not" she stopped walking looking at J.R. dead in the eye.

They stood there looking each other down until Tyler broke in.

"What's the problem?" He looked from Rachel to J.R. then back

J.R. finally looked away from her, "She's carrying a gun Tyler"

Tyler chuckled, "I know"

Rachel took her eyes off J.R., her face full of surprise that he knew, but then again he was trained to know this stuff right?

"You knew but you didn't take it from her?"

"Why should I? It's only fair and helpful if she carried a weapon herself"

J.R. opened his mouth then shut it knowing he did make sense; Rachel stared at Tyler than looked away when he caught her stare. She began walking ahead, the two men followed behind talking amongst themselves. The walking helped clear her head and even reminiscence in her thoughts not knowing how she should feel now that she was with a pair of other living, breathing human beings and not a dead decaying body that smelled badly. This time if she spoke, a voice spoke back not making her feel like some insane person going crazier by the second she kept talking and breathing. Shouldn't she feel safe, secure that she was with another sane human being? Maybe being locked up alone with nothing but canned food, some weapons, water bottles and a dead body that was once your mother had made her crazy. She looked at the distance trying to keep her mind off talking to herself internally which only made her seem crazier and unstable. An unstable person meant the more easily you'd die and the more unpredictable their actions would be, if they found out they'd probably leave her to die somewhere or even kill her themselves. 'Thoughts like that make you seem paranoid and psycho Rachel' she told herself. If she wanted to be honest with herself she would have to come to admit the fact that she was better off not being left in her thoughts, it made her seem more insane…..

"Hey" Tyler touched her shoulder, "are you alright?"

Rachel flinched then relaxed slowly as he took his hand off her shoulder noticing she was jumpy, she didn't mean to flinch it was just she was lost in her thoughts and he had caught her off guard. She liked how warm his hand was, knowing someone touched her.

"I'm sorry. I was just….." she looked up at him, "thinking"

He stared uncertainly at her, she may have been half-smiling but he knew something was going on with her.

"We are _almost_ to the car can we _please_ hurry up my feet are starting to kill me", J.R.'s whining voice broke off their staring contest.

Tyler stared into her eyes one more time until he nodded his head slightly at J.R. Rachel stood looking at something else until they walked a few paces ahead, she stared at the back of the head of Tyler knowing he knew something was up with her. Could she trust him? Perhaps he wouldn't automatically think she was insane. She decided to think on that as she caught up with the pair knowing she was better off thinking about that then what would usually be on her mind.

"Finally" J.R. ran to the blue Audi parked in the middle of the street.

Tyler smirked at his friend as he ran joyfully at the car; he heard her footsteps coming from behind. He didn't look over his shoulder but looked to the side and spoke.

"I hope whatever you were thinking about wasn't anything drastic or dare I say suicidal"

He heard her footsteps stop knowing what he said hit some nerve; he walked on after a quiet couple of seconds. Rachel didn't say a word until she got into the car with them; she listened with happiness at the small cracks the two guys made and what they talked about as they drove on. She was with people now, not alone in her thoughts. She knew inside her thoughts were answered knowing she could trust Tyler thinking about what he had said and noticing a hint of playfulness in his voice as he said that to her. As she looked out the window she smiled for the first time in a long time...


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was setting to the east displaying beautiful rays of color from orange to pink, but days in this time weren't spent at looking at the sunset anymore it was about finding shelter. Alexandra Chastener looked longingly at the sky secretly wishing a helicopter or a fighter jet would fly by and find them, but that was wishful thinking. She knew everyone was already dead or by some miracle somewhere far from here. She heard a loud noise coming from a distance; it was the guys coming back. She smiled yelling that the guys were coming notifying the two men who guarded the front of the compound. In her mind this place were herself and the small group of people stayed at wasn't a compound but everyone had nicknamed it that for some reason, it was a base per say.

The gates guarding the compound opened letting the blue Audi pass. The men closed them as quick as possible locking it up securely as it was before. Tyler parked at the nearest spot that carts or anything else didn't take up the space on. J.R. got out walking heavily towards a place to sit, luckily one of the ladies there helped him to the shelter.

"Glad your back", Alexandra said as she walked towards Tyler

He smiled at her walking past her to the other side of the passenger door. Out stepped Rachel eyes filled with curiosity at the said 'compound'. Alexandra looked at her surprised they had found a survivor and one that was young and healthy.

"This is Rachel, we found her hiding" he looked at Rachel she looked away from him embarrassed, "Rachel this is Alex, Alex…Rachel"

Alex held out her hand smiling, "Nice to meet you"

Rachel looked at her hand then took it, "Like wise"

"Take her inside for me Alex?"

"Sure thing", Alex nodded taking Rachel to the housing complex. She looked back at Tyler; he nodded his head at her smiling as if a sign to know to trust this woman.

The place was suitable; it wasn't as if she'd gone to other houses besides hers from when everything happened. Alex introduced her to the few people that were inside leading her to a room with four other beds inside all of which three were tampered with and used. The last one was well made.

"This will be your new room" Alex spread her arms around the room, "you'll be bunking with me and the rest of the ladies here"

Rachel examined her bed walking cautiously around it, she smiled at Alex nodding her head.

"Thanks"

Alex nodded smiling then went over to her bed which was across from hers. She picked up a bag opening it and handing them over to Rachel, she looked at the pair of clothes she gave her.

"I know these aren't much but they'll do, I think we're about the same size"

Alex put her hands on her hips looking away contemplating about something; Rachel looked down at the clothes she held checking the size.

"Oh you must need a shower to huh? Follow me"

Rachel followed Alex catching a glimpse of an older couple sitting down before being lead into a bathroom. Alex walked out then returned with a towel in hand.

"Now you know how showers work and what not right?"

Rachel nodded.

"Okay well then your all set, just find make yourself as comfortable as possible here"

She shut the door behind her leaving Rachel alone to undress and do her business. Rachel laid the clothes on the floor, turned on the shower, and stood in front of the mirror staring at herself.

Green eyes pierced into her soul; the girl who stood in front of her appeared different. Not just in the aspect that she was dirty and messy looking but her facial features. Dark circles from the nights she never went to sleep because of the distant noises of clattering upstairs and gun shots outside, even the screams and ghastly moans from the undead. Stuff like that was only in scary movies and what not, not in real life. Losing her mother and being alone hadn't done her health well, especially mentally. Steam began rising fogging up the mirror, hiding her appearance from her herself; the reflection she saw faded out leaving her staring at a foggy mirror. It was better than figuring out why she had grown so vastly in the months she had been locked away in her basement. Rachel turned to the shower undressing slowly and tiredly; as she stepped in she ignored the scorching heat closing her eyes letting the tears she held in out. The water both washed herself clean and away the grief and pain she had had been holding in, bringing herself a new.


End file.
